Dial indicator



March 3o, 1954 A. LAGARDERE DIAL `I1\1DIcAToR Filed Jan. 3l, 1949 [III IM verront' ATTQRNEY Patented Mar. 30, 1954 DIAL INDICATOR lAlberto Lagardre, Barcelona, Spain, assignor to Juan Baurier Tivollier, Barcelona, Spain Application January 31, 1949, Serial No. 73,856

Claims priority, application Spain November 10, 1948 2 Claims. l

In internal combustion engines, especially those intended for automobile vehicles, Bosch pumps are frequently employed for the supply of fuel to the cylinders, or pumps of other similar types which comprise a centrifugal governor mounted on the pump itself and actuated by the engine in order to determine the variations in the supply of fuel corresponding to variations in the load on the engine.

This invention relates to indicating apparatus which is tted to the pump itself, and indicatesI directly by means of a needle or pointer which moves over a dial, the supply of fuel, and hence the power the engine is developing.

This apparatus comprises a plunger or sliding member which is actuated directly by the moving part of the centrifugal governor, and which rocks a lever, which in its turn actuates a toothed Wheel or sector, which meshes with a toothed pinion on the spindle of the indicator needle or pointer. A suitably placed spring constantly presses the lever against an abutment on the sliding plunger, and hence presses this plunger against the roving partof the governor, so that the position of the needle on the dial is always related to the position of the moving part of the governor, which, by means of a lever, controls that member of the pump which regulates the quantity of fuel supplied tothe engine.

A modication of the apparatus comprises the coupling of the spindle of the pinion by means of a flexible shaft or other mechanical connection, with a needle situated on a dial remote from the apparatus itself, example on the control dash-board, in the case of an engine installed on a motor vehicle.

Apparatus according to the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l shows diagrammatically in sectional elevation the application of the apparatus to a pump of the Bosch type provided with a governor.

Figure 2 is an outside from the front;

Figure 3 shows a section in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 shows a section Figure 3.

The fuel pump of the engine comprises a, centrifugal governor comprising two weights I mounted on a shaft 2. The weights or masses I, on being displaced by the action of centrifugal force resisted by an opposing spring 3, displace along the shaft 2 a sleeve or moving part 4,

view of the apparatus on the line III-III o-n the line IV-IV in and situated for position of the which, by means of a lever 5, actuates a member 6 controlling the pump, in such a direction as to increase the quantity of fuel injected into the engine when the speed of this latter is decreased through an increase in load, and to diminish the quantity of fuel when the load decreases and the speed of the engine increases.

The apparatus of this invention is fixed to the external casing or cover 1 of the pump as shown diagrammatically in Figure 1, and comprises a main shaft or spindle 8 (Figures 3 and 4) which rotates in bearings 9 mounted in the casing of the apparatus, and `carries at its free front end a needle I 0, which moves over a dial I I.

At the lower part, the apparatus comprises a slide or sliding plunger I2, which, on the apparatus Ibeing mounted on the pump as indicated in Figure 1, bears with its free end against the moving sleeve 4 of the governor, so that when this moving sleeve of the governor is displaced to the left of Figure 1 it pushes the plunger I2 before it, and when it is displaced to the right it permits the plunger I2 to move back with it through the action of an opposing spring I5.

On the shaft 8 of the indicator needle or pointer is mounted loosely, through the medium of a bearing I6, a lever I'I, the lower end I8 of which bears against a projection I9 on the plunger I2, while its upper arm is actuated by the spring I5, which always tends to press the lower arm of the lever against the projecting part of the plunger l2 and consequently to press the plunger I2 against the moving part 4 of the governor.

'Ihe lever I'I terminates at its upper end in a fork which nts on a button or pin 20 xed to a toothed wheel 2|, so that when this lever I1 oscillates it causes the toothed wheel to rotate, and this latter amplies the movement and transmits it to a pinion 22 fixed to the shaft 8 which carries the indicator needle or pointer I0. Consequently the position of this needle or pointer I0 on the dial II indicates at every moment the regulating member 6 of the injection, and hence the quantity of fuel that is being injected into the engine. As this quantity of fuel corresponds to the power which is being exacted from the engine the needle or pointer I D constantly indicates how much power the engine is developing.

In order to facilitate in each case the regulation of the apparatus with relation to the engine to which it is applied, the plunger I2 is provided with a sliding stop I3, which projects at the end of the plunger, and the position of which is adjusted by means of a screw I4, so that by turning this screw the length of the plunger, and hence the position of the lever I1 with relation to the moving part of the governor, are conveniently regulated. In addition, it is also possible to regulate the coupling of the lever Il with the toothed Wheel 2|, for which purpose in this wheel 2| there are various holes 23, in any one of which it is possible to fix the pin 20 that fits into the fork of the lever l1.

When this apparatus is applied to an internal combustion engine mounted on an automobile vehicle, it is not in general convenient to read the indications of the indicator needle or pointer in the apparatus itself, and in such a case it is possible to connect the device with another dial and indicator needle on the dash-board of the vehicle or at any other suitable point, and to couple the needle of this dial with the spindle of the indicator needle of the apparatus by means of a exible cable or other suitable transmission gear.

Thus, for example, it is possible to arrange at the end of the spindle 8 of the indicator needle a bevel Wheel 25, which meshes with another bevel Wheel 29 xed to a shaft 2l, which has coupled to it a flexible cable 2S, which transmits the movements to the needle or pointer of a dial of any suitable type arranged on the dash-board of the Vehicle.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for facilitating controlling the functioning of an internal combustion engine and the like comprising a slidable plunger, a lever actuatable by said plunger, a toothed Wheel connected to said lever and movable thereby, an indicator needle, a. shaft mounting said needle, a bearing loosely mounting said lever on said needle shaft, a pinion on said shaft meshing With said toothed Wheel, said indicator needle being positioned in direct correspondence with the position of said slidable plunger at any given moment, a projection on said plunger, adjustable means in said plunger, said projection being adjustable in position by said adjustable means, the lower end of said lever being in contact with said plunger, the position of the upper end of said lever being determined by the adjustment of said adjustable means in said plunger for adjusting the position of said needle.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and Wherein said lever actuated by said plunger terminates in a fork, said toothed Wheel having a plurality of holes therein, a pin xed in one said hole in said toothed Wheel, said pin being slidable in said fork, said pin being adjustable to different positions on said toothed Wheel by fixing in different ones of said holes for regulating the position of coupling of said lever and said toothed wheel.

ALBERTO LAGARDRE.

References Cited in the le 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,152,686 Zahorik Sept. 7, 1915 1,395,638 Grubman et al Nov. 1, 1921 1,411,412 Converse Apr. 4, 1922 1,879,587 Swain Sept. 27, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 163,590 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1933 

